UPND files impeachment motion against President Lungu

The opposition UPND has filed a motion in parliament to impeach President Edgar Lungu for allegedly violated the constitution.

Mover of the motion, Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo confirmed that the motion will be debated March 28.

Roan PF MP Chishimba Kambwili will second the motion when it comes up for debate.

According to a document obtained from the Clerk of the National Assembly, the UPND has obtained the signatures of one-third of the 167-member parliament who are in support the motion.

Zambia’s constitutions requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly for such a proposal to succeed.

Some of the alleged constitutional breaches are that President Lungu violated the constitution when he failed to hand over power to the Speaker of the National Assembly when the presidential petition was filed.

Other charges are that President Lungu procured public debt which is beyond the capacity of the nation to sustain contrary to provisions of Article 198 (c) of the Constitution.

They also alleged that President Lungu breached the constitution when he interfered with the operations of ZCCM-IH when he directed the company to discontinue proceedings that it had commenced for the recovery of debt from First Quantum Minerals to the detriment of the people of Zambia.

They further allege that President Lungu engaged in acts of corruption by the unprecedented procurement of personal wealth and assets using the short period that he has held the office of President.

The other charges regards the disposal of NRDC land, transferring of proceeds of the sale of Mukula logs to ZAFFICO and not Consolidated Fund as requested by law and the procurement of fire tenders and ambulances.

But State House Spokesman Amos Chanda called the motion “defective” and said it will fail.

“The motion is defective and an act in desperation by an opposition that enjoys grandstanding for the sake of it,” Mr. Chanda said.

“The president has committed no offenses for which he can be impeached. The desperate action by the UPND is an exercise in futility and will end in an embarrassing failure.”

I like it when PF supporters say one thing and yet deep down there are scared to death, It happened during the petition, They where saying its going no where but at the same time they where shi.tting in their pants knowing that their leader is a thief, Look at how they celebrated when the petition was thrown out, The same here, PF supporters will say, Its going no where but deep down they are scared like little rabbits knowing that their leader is guilt and if the law was followed to the later, EL will be out for everyone knows he is a thief who needs to be kicked out.

This is ridiculousness.
Edgar has not killed.
Edgar has not tortured none.
Edgar is hostage.
We don’t call for his removal, we oppose so he can be remembered as a good leader.
We have too many embarrassing RBs in country.

You’ve missed the main point in this action.
It will be debated and classified information will be tabled in parliament without the shushushu and pf dogs chasing everyone.
It will further DAMAGE the reputation of President Ibwiba mwibala.
We know the numbers in parliament don’t favour honest individuals in opposition and also in ruling party other than one Inonge Wina. The rest are party stooges.

Useless academic exercise in futility. Its been Brought In Dead. As much as such political postures are within their constitutional and democratic rights, this one lacks moral turpitude and constitutional basis not mentioning nominal or ordinal data to hold or move an inch beyond its filing desk. Instead, it only exposes the lack of political judgement and steer in UPND in their effort to detract President Lungu. We have jokers for opposition politics.

Kuti waseka … Ba Gary G Nkombo signed the Impeachment Notion of Motion Request but did not even sign the Petition by the supporting one-third. I move to support a motion to impeach Gary G Nkombo for not paying attention to parliamentary requirements for such a serious constitutional matter.

Yaba O yaba … what a waste of time. ECL is President of the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise, the only vote that can remove him from the office is the one at the polls in 2021. Wishing you the best of luck between now and then.

Ba Sunday is totally right … this petition is defective and I add a share waste of valuable time. Instead of grandstanding, please do something more productive. God speed and let’s roll …

Interesting!!! How can you have Dialogue and Impeachment talks at the same time. Some politicians!!! Ndeloleshafye!!! Be serious and mean what you stand for, don’t pretend. soon people will now the real hearts of these men. In one breath they condemn corruption and yet when one if arrested with 39 counts of corruption they are in front to defend him – Bwana, what do you really stand for?

This is very good. Not because the motion might pass or might fail. It is just good for all those who cherish democracy. That’s the civilised way to do things, if you have any suspicions or issues, you follow the democratic channels and for any civilised person, UPND must never be demonised for this

PETITION VERSION 2 – WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS FAILS TOO?
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That is all it is. We shall surely wait and see.
Chaps can’t just wait for 2021. The route to 2021 is rough. The UPNDEAD are pushing panic-strickenly hard to disrupt the PF flat-out developmental agenda. Plus only God knows from whom double h borrowed 2016 compaign funds. Time is ticking real fast. Guess what? He has nothing to lose.
PF’s country developmental agenda is basically overriding the UPNDEAD’s dreams to have the faintest chance and perfect shot at Plot 1. Remember the thief comes for nothing but steal, destroy and kill. Don’t worry though, similar fruitless efforts were attempted in the LPM era, nothing worked.

Edgar please close State House offices, go work from Kitwe or Mfuwe. You have homes there…
Leave State House swept, and painted in white, not in current PF green.
Sweep all starting from Kaiser, what’s wrong with you man.
Bring in fresh fresh fresh women in that state house.
Remember that former ambassador woman: Lewanika? Such ones.
Here are wisemen, for state house advisors, call them back:
Ba Katema
Ba Wilbur Simusaa
Ba Shambikula
Ba Emmanuel Chanda

Iwe [email protected] B.R Mumba, you have short memory. Was it not your heroes Sata & KK who was insulting even ministers, ati you are useless, styupid fools.
Am just fine, according to Mwata Kazembe, your chief.

Good luck Garry Nkombo,HH and Kambwili as you fight a mission impossible!!
Of all the points you have raised above,there is nothing wrong which ECL has done for him to be impeached!!KAINDE SHOULD CONTROL HIS DESPERATION FOR STATE HOUSE!!only voters could give him the presidency and nothing else!!SURELY,HOW CAN UPND WIN THIS BATTLE WITH 56 BANTUSTAN MPS AND A LOST PF MP-KAMBWILI?DREAM ON BADAAALA!!
Hon.Ng’ambi also should move a motion in parliament which will stop experts in losing elections such as HH,Nawakwi,Miyanda from appearing on a ballot paper in 2021 and Zambians will see who has number in the house between upnd and Mighty PF!!!

Hakainde is not under 5 by accident, he has rightly earned this title. Look, on one hand he is so desperate to have the commonwealth-led dialogue with Lungu while on the other hand he is busy provoking Lungu through his equally useless under 5 MPs!! Does he honestly believe that when this nonsense of an impeachment motion flops Lungu will ever entertain that commonwealth envoy especially that the main opposition participant in the so called dialogue is Hakainde? He has just given Lungu and his pf a justifiable reason to walk away from the dialogue process. After all Lungu has nothing to lose, it’s hakainde and his commonwealth friends who need this dialogue. Bye Bye Prof. Gambari, thanks to under 5 tribal grouping

Ati we have opposition in parliament??? How can the “ubomba mwi bala” be a basis of impeachment??? When the NHI bill came up for debate, these 1d.i.o.ts didn’t even prepare for it but want to waste taxpayers money debating this s.t.u.p1d motion??? Awe sure, Zambia is cursed to have upnd as opposition!!!

I have not been participating for a very long time I am persuaded to comment because people don’t know the implication of an impeachment motion. The member will debate and have a chance to present all hidden data about Lungu in parliament when all Zambians will be listening. This will be a slap on Lungus face, remember ZUMA survived but his name was dented for good. This led to his un timely resignation. A lot of Data will be reviewed on Lungu’s dirt corruption. This is the beginning of the end of Lungu. Watch the space.

Let them go for it as they are busy selfish foooools…whilst their friends are mobilizing around the country they are busy pursuing non starters. Now is the time for them to lobbying for amendment of governance issues relating to election management in Zambia…like Odinga and his party were doing in Kenya.

Alright, these UPND guys are playing ping-pong here to simply send a message!

PF must up its strategy in ensuring they defend these so called breaches with logic and law; in politics perceptions can hold so badly to a point of people [the voters] start believing no-sense.
PF is ruling party therefore they should parry all these accusation with CALMNESS and SENSIBLE answers. If they just depend on their numbers in Parliament, these UPND may succeed in impregnating their message into the minds of most unschooled voters – this isn’t a time to leave such motions and/or accusations to chance. MY THOUGHTS ONLY

Everything that itches start small and once this is done whether fail or win will be an igniter to all who comes in with pompousness in leadership.
Not all PF MPs are happy and if one third has happen, only another one third will do to disqualify ECL

I agree with you the Japanese man, every one knows the impeachment will not go through, but the MPs want to put on record that they are not happy with Lungu’s way of conducting business at state house. There are many ways of expressing discontent with our leaders and impeachment is one of them, others use all sorts of missiles e.g. KK was once pelted with stones in the past.

This is a good motion. So many wrong things Lungu and The PF government are doing, if only at least we had principled people in Parliament and many MP’s seeing the many sufferings of our People they would definitely support this motion but i fear most of them are hungry people that can get tuma 3pin to just turn it down!!!!

Inonge Wina as President?? At least maybe certain things can change cause it can be a wake up call for them as a Party in government as we wait for 2021. For example the situation in S.A when Zuma resigned, Cyril has taken certain measures that are slowly driving away from the Zuma regime

GUYS, I reckon you are missing the point; these UPNDs know what they want to achieve: GET INTO GOVERNMENT! They are using every opportunity and trick in the books of power – read the 3rd Law in the “Forty Eight Laws of Power”.
Before PF realise it, power would be gone; read between the lines ITS NOT THE IMPEACHMENT MOTION but the MESSAGE. They want to paint ECL and PF CHARCOAL-DARK-BLACK before 2021. These are politics; they have even departed from selling their Alternatives in Policy now!
Look at CK, his focus and thrust is simply CORRUPTION & THEFT ACCUSATIONS plus courting ARRESTS. These are mind-games for gaining entry into STICK-TAG PERCEPTIONS.

While this MAY NOT SUCCEED, I believe PARLIAMENT IS THE ONLY AVENUE WHERE THE SO MANY QUESTIONABLE THINGS THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE CAN BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE IN COURTS, HE CANNOT BE SUED!! However some of the issues like the Dual carriage way and other dubious tender procedures, legal processes should have first been followed by suing concerned institutions before getting them as impeachable offences. WHETHER IT FAILS OR SUCCEEDS, AT LEAST THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE OPPOSITION IS FIGHTING AGAINST CORRUPTION ESPECIALLY WHEN IT INVOLVES BIG MINING HOUSES, the case of FQM’s $1.2 Bn!Why not include the Lapgreen payment too,ZAF land to Chinese etc??!

South Africa had several failed impeachment attempts on Zuma.. The essence is not always that the impeachment will work but just tabling it brings another dimension to bringing the dark transgressions into light. The impeachment will fail but any right thinking person will question how an individual can quadruple their wealth in this economy in such a short space and with otherwise limited business acumen.

Lungu is a brilliant lawyer. He has an ace up his sleeve; some lacuna in our laws, including the constitution, which no one has spotted. He will use it at the right time to defend his wealth. He is not as stupid as some people I know to acquire wealth illegally as he is aware of the consequences after living office. While time wasters are busy seeking his removal, he is busy being smart. That’s my President. Zambia needs a smart President, which cannot be said of some “chuuldren” still attending U5 political clinic. Full speed ahead Lungu. 2021 is already in sight.

MBILI YAKALE very much so but I do not seem agree to the extent that ECL would wish to be persecuted and/or face wanton prosecuted when retired. Even Lawyers do not want nor wish to face the in form and style it is fashioned today.
He deserves also a quiet and peaceful retirement.
Maybe otherwise, but for me its the better way to exit.

Way to go, the opposition is even barred from voicing out there views on the public media. It is just like been in the Kaunda era of one party state.
Let us rally our support behind those fighting for our own good ….

It all goes to show that ZNBC is very popular with perhaps more than 95% viewership. If the private media on which they feature is popular as they claim, why bother about ZNBC. No wonder why “chuuldren””asked to feature on Sunday Interview. ZNBC is popular and this government is popular because what you see on ZNBC is development and NOT the propaganda that is rife on private media. Progressive Zambians are not interested in insults and lies on private media. That is why they view ZNBC for update on development. Bye Bye “chuuldren”. I almost said polio, sorry. 2021 is in Lungu’s pocket. In 2026 try Nkombo or Mwetwa, you may just pull it.

This may not be successful, but at least it will go down on record and in history that someone in our generation tried to impeach possibly one of the most incompetent/corrupt leaders we have had in our time in this country. The man has failed to act on what are clearly suspicious cases of corruption and misuse of national resources.

The motion might not go through but the damage will definitely be done to President Lungu and PF as a record of transgressions against the people of Zambia will remain which might be used to answer charges in future. Just like Zuma, the motion of no confidence and impeachment are not good for a sitting President as they signify the beginning of downfall and also galvanize the masses. Of significance also, the fact that Kambwili and UPND are working together on this agenda is not good for PF which is rapidly losing popularity among the masses. The issues sighted for moving the motion border on corruption and will dent PF big time both locally and internationally.

I would like to advice MPs from PF that they shouldn’t ignore that issue, because they were not elected by MR LUNGU instead they were elected by the citizens with the hope that they will do something good for them rather than to do something for the benefit of one person.So for the national issue they have to work hand in hand with the opposition MPs.If South Africa did ,why not Zambia’s.

If they do that, they will be “impeached” by their constituencies because lungu is very popular. UPND MPs must befriend the amoeba. He might give them advice on how to replicate their numbers. Maybe the impeachment motion will pass. As it is, its an exercise in futility.

The impeachment process is being spearheaded by the losing team UPNDEADS, the petition failed at the hands of the Judiciary, this issue died the very day it was conceived at the hands of parliamentarians. That’s the playground of PFs + independents. No chance, UPNDEADS.

For all its worth, let the opposition exercise their constitutional right. The motion may have its demerits, so thinks Amos Chanda and may be reduced to a game of numbers and party-line voting, but what the heck,the motion is not illegal in itself, that’s what democracy entails, though I feel the ruling elite may have this thing won already. Let’s wait and see.It’s a big ask by the opposition, even though i think it’s a very good and serious academic pros and cons exercise. My thoughts exactly.

@Kabs.yes it will dent PF image only in your bantustan minds!!all Zambians know that upnd is full of bantustans who are ever against president Edgar Lungu.so there is nothing new here!!
IT COULD HAVE MADE SENSE IF THIS MOTION WAS INITIATED BY NEUTRAL ZAMBIANS ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM 6.5 PROVINCES THAN THESE FRUSTRATED BANTUSTAN MPS WHOM HH USES LIKE ROBOTS!!
when a PF MP initiates a motion to prevent losers such HH,Nawakwi,Miyanda from appearing on a ballot in 2021,Kainde will be the BIGGEST LOSER!!lets wait and see.

HH is still relishing wounds of 2016. The first opposition in history of Zambia to have refused recognizing the duly elected president, The first to have contested presidency 5 times without success. Sir, don’t diminish the goodwill ganered so far for 2021. The reasons for impeachment fall far short of what is stated in our constitution, and many will perceive bitterness is driving you to embark on this aimless exercise. As for me I’ve never been your disciple because you are full of bitterness which oozes in your veins, and that isn’t a leadership quality at all.

Yes. HH is like a dog who is leaking his wounds after losing a fight and growling at anyone who dares to come close for fear of another beating. The current noise is not about political strength, but about fear of what will happen to him in 2021. And he is doing a good job concealing it. He is also afraid of his own camp for losing TOO MUCH. Imagine, 5 times is not an impressive record.

Are these signatories in numbers for the said attempt to go through? These are surely the times when opposition parties wish had more Mps in the house, on the other hand will this not bring complications to the much talked “reconciliation?”

Please use ballot papers not short cuts 2021 is just around the corner we don’t want to be running up and down. Bembas you are too selfish, Kambwil, Mulongoti, Chipimo, Chishimba, Musenge, Mpombo, Kalaba to mention few you all want to go to state house can you see your friends TONGAS they all supporting one person.

@27 Zoona, THAT IS WHAT MAKES THEM WISE and DEMOCRATIC!! They believe anyone has right to rule and must try till rejected by people and by the way, NOT ALLof the people you have mentioned are Bemba, MAY BE Chipimo from Mporokoso other the rest are from other ethicities for example Mpombo and Mulongoti are Lambas!!

So the Commonwealth thing about reconciliation is just nonsense? HH doesn’t believe in dialogue because his ultimate aim is State House. Plan A failed, this is plan B and if it fails he might take up arms.

The impeachment process is being spearheaded by the losing team UPNDEADS, the petition failed at the hands of the Judiciary, this impeachment issue died the very day it was conceived at the hands of parliamentarians. That’s the playground of PFs + independents. No chance, UPNDEADS.

Excessive hatred blinds, the first ground was what Hichilema wanted and was the only reason for his petition. What he and his followers don’t understand is that at that time there was no Speaker because Matibini and his Parliament were dissolved 90 days before elections. That’s why the business of the first sitting of Parley is to elect the Speaker. The only time a dissolved Speaker and his MPs are recalled is when the President declares a State of Emergency. None of this occurred, so baloba ilyauma

There is is a tribe that is cursed in this country. There had the first chance to rule Zambia but Nkumbula opted to go drink beer and sleep white women while KK received the instruments of power from the British. What a bunch.

LABEL IT PETITION VERSION TWO
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The impeachment process is being spearheaded by the losing team UPNDEADS, the petition failed at the hands of the Judiciary, this issue died the very day it was conceived at the hands of parliamentarians. That’s the playground of PFs + independents. No chance, UPNDEADS.
Exercise is futility.

This is very good. Not because the motion might pass or might fail. It is just good for all those who cherish democracy. That’s the civilised way to do things, if you have any suspicions or issues, you follow the democratic channels and for any civilised person, UPND must never be demonised for this please

You do not need to have “suspicions or issues”, you need facts and evidence. These UnDEADs will just bore us with preliminary issues until 2021. Where is the rigging evidence the Charlotte Scott sang about?

HH is compromised by the lack likes of data analytica. He’s busy buying his way to the presidency. He is the one who should be impeached for overstaying his leadership position. Imagine, he has outlasted all the presidents after Chiluba era.

This impeachment idiocy of HH will go nowhere as it has no little ground apart from jealousy, bitterness frustration, smear campaigns and all kinds of evil. We patriotic Zambians love Edgar Chagwa Lungu very dearly. Come 2021, HH will be the 10 times election looser and crying like hyiiiii yhiiii hyiiiii, banibela maboti yangu mebo!